How to Add Space Between Alphabets and Digits Using Regex in Python

Learn how to use regex in Python to effectively add spaces between `alphabets` and `digits` in a string without altering other characters.
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How to Add Space Between Alphabets and Digits Using Regex in Python

If you've ever found yourself needing to manipulate strings in Python, you may have encountered situations where proper spacing is crucial for readability or formatting. One common challenge is separating alphabets from digits in a string while ensuring that other characters, like special symbols, remain unchanged. This guide will walk you through a straightforward method to solve this problem using Python's powerful regex capabilities.

The Problem

You're faced with a string that contains a mix of alphabets, digits, and special characters, such as hyphens and commas. An example is as follows:

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The goal is to add spaces between the alphabets and digits without affecting the digits when they are attached to special characters, such as hyphens or commas.

Desired Output

The formatted output for the above input should look like this:

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This means we want to add a space only between alphabets (A-Z) and digits (0-9).

The Solution

To achieve the desired formatting, we can use Python's re module, which provides support for working with regular expressions. Below is a breakdown of the process and the necessary code.

Step 1: Import the re module

Before writing our code, let's ensure we have access to the regex functionalities by importing the re library.

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Step 2: Define the string

Next, store your original string in a variable.

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Adding space between digits and uppercase alphabets

To add a space before a capital letter that follows a digit, use the following line:

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This expression finds a digit (\d) immediately followed by an uppercase letter ([A-Z]) and adds a space between them.

Adding space between uppercase alphabets and digits

Next, to handle the opposite scenario where an uppercase letter is followed by a digit, apply this line:

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This expression searches for a capital letter directly followed by a digit and adds a space between them.

Step 4: Review the final output

After these substitutions, print the modified string:

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Conclusion

This technique can be beneficial in various applications, like data processing and preparing strings for user interfaces, ensuring clarity and readability.

Now you're equipped with the knowledge to tackle similar string manipulation problems with regex in Python. Happy coding!